Located in the border of North America and South America, the Central American country of Panama, the east and west sides of the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the unique geographical advantages of Panama "arose in the sea". However, due to the abandonment of a large number of plastic bags, the pollution of the surrounding sea has intensified, and the Panamanians with the sea have increasingly felt the pressure from the environment.

From July 20, the Panamanian government officially announced a ban on the use of single-use plastic bags in China, making Panama the first country in Central America to ban the use of single-use plastic bags.

All supermarkets, pharmacies and retail outlets in Panama must immediately stop using polyethylene plastic bags from July 20, while wholesale stores will have until 2020, local media reported. Those who violate the rules will be fined, but some exceptions will be exempted, such as storing raw food. Grocery shoppers can still use reusable bags, which sell for 70 cents.

Following the plastic ban, signs urging people to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags have been popping up on the streets of Panama City, Reuters reported. At the same time, 300 officers from Panama's Consumer Protection Bureau will also check the ban on plastic bags to ensure people comply with the new rules. In fact, the Panamanian parliament approved legislation to ban plastic bags in 2018. Whether it is an official statement or a private initiative, we can see the ambition and determination of Panamanian and Chinese people to ban the use of plastic bags and improve the Marine environment.

Most of the land of Panama is bordered by the sea, and Marine resources are the most important wealth. After regaining sovereignty in 1999, the Panama Canal's role as a hub has greatly boosted the economy. The vast ocean is vital to the government of Panama, which has strengthened Panama's position as the crossroads of the Western Hemisphere.

However, in recent years, with the accumulation of plastic waste in the ocean, Panama's Marine ecology has suffered a fatal blow. Sea turtles, seals and other Marine animals often die from eating plastic bags off Panama's coast, and many animals have been tortured to death because of plastic. In addition, Panama's small area and weak ecosystem adjustment ability, waste plastic bags because they are not recyclable and non-degradable, the country's ecosystem is not a small challenge.

A report released by the MacArthur Foundation in Britain in 2016 predicted that if no effective measures are taken to curb plastic bags, the weight of plastic waste in the world's oceans will exceed the weight of fish by 2050.

The white pollution caused by discarded plastic bags is extremely harmful to biodiversity. Last year, the American Chinese Broadcasting Company reported a shocking and heart-wrenching news. A pilot whale was found dead in the waters of southern Thailand. An autopsy revealed that the animal had more than 80 plastic bags, weighing up to 8 kilograms. Such examples are just a drop in the ocean. According to the Global Environment Program, 8 million tons of plastic products enter the world's oceans every year, directly causing the death of tens of thousands of Marine life.

Plastic bags have a very short life cycle, which leads to a lot of waste. It is estimated that the use time of a plastic bag is about 12 minutes, and when people finish using plastic bags, these abandoned garbage will be hoarded, or even dumped directly into the ocean.

Now a number of countries around the world have implemented plastic ban, these countries have completely or partially banned the use of single-use plastic bags.

The United Kingdom released an environmental plan in January last year, announcing that it would eliminate all plastic waste by 2042. Chile became the first country in Latin America to ban plastic in February this year.

For most coastal countries, discarded plastic bags have become an "unbearable burden" on fragile ecosystems. Every year, 1.3 million tons of plastic waste passes through Indonesia into the ocean. In the face of the increasingly urgent environmental situation, the Indonesian government has also restarted a series of measures, including the plastic ban.

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